Automatic pull-down cabinet assembly

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides an automatic pull-down cabinet assembly. The automatic pull-down cabinet assembly includes an outer cabinet, an inner cabinet, a cabinet moving mechanism, one or more sliding arms, and a controller. The cabinet moving mechanism further includes a first moving unit and a second moving unit. The controller receives a command for moving the inner cabinet from a user via an operating device. The controller enables the cabinet moving mechanism to move the inner cabinet from a retracted position to an extended position to a lower extended position or an upper extended position and vice versa.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to an automated cabinet assembly. More particularly, the present invention relates to an automated storage system having at least an inner cabinet and an outer cabinet. The system is configured with a cabinet moving mechanism to extend or retract and raise or lower the inner cabinet from the outer cabinet. The cabinet moving mechanism is configured to move the inner cabinet in between a retracted position, an extended position and a lower extended position or an upper extended position as required.

BACKGROUND

A cabinet is a case usually having one or more doors and inner shelves used for items that are displayed or stored in a home, business, store, or elsewhere. It is raised off the floor and often anchored to a wall, supported on its shorter length sides by brackets, or otherwise anchored to a rigid surface by brackets, dowels, screws, or nails. The items can include paper files such as files and books, etc. According to the purposes and based on the items stored, the cabinets can be divided into archive cabinets, book cabinets, accounting cabinets, case cabinets, and storage cabinets. The emergence of dense cabinets eased the long-standing problem of warehouse tension and improved storage conditions. In order to retrieve items stored high up in the cabinet, a user needs to stand preciously on a ladder or on a stool or the like. This practice is dangerous, especially for children, elderly, and physically challenged persons.

To overcome this problem, the cabinets are provided with pull down assemblies. Generally, these assemblies lower the inner cabinet using inherently complicated mechanism. The mechanism uses biasing members, linkage mechanisms and/or pulleys. the cabinet assemblies of these types are usually costly and lack reliability.

Following are some of the attempts made to design cabinet assemblies in order to provide automatic moving mechanisms.

JP2002096907A provides a trackless motor shelf that relates to an electric movable rack, and more particularly to a rail less electric movable rack whose wheels directly move on a floor without using rails. A pair of rail-shaped guides are arranged in parallel along a traveling direction at intervals from a back face of the moving shelf single body. A pair of front and rear axles orthogonally crossing a moving shelf single body traveling direction are provided by at least one pairs on a back face side and a front side, and the axles on the front side and axles on the back face side are driven by each of different electric motors.

JP2017043461A provides a moving rack device and control method of moving rack device that relates to a movable shelf apparatus having a movable shelf movable on a floor surface in a facility and a control method of the movable shelf apparatus. Before the movement of moving racks, it is confirmed whether or not an obstacle exists about the whole of an inter-rack passage which is opened to a front side of the moving racks in a forward direction by the determination of the detection of the existence of the obstacle in a pre-movement detection range by an obstacle sensor, and after a start of the movement.

CN209543442U provides an unmanned shelf replenishment system that relates to a product sales management system based on a two-dimensional code.

Although there are a number of solutions in the form of the automatic cabinet assembly, none of them are solving the same problems-of accessibility of shelves for a user. Although some of the prior existing assemblies attempt to create an automatic cabinet with a moving mechanism, the solution fails to meet the user's requirement if a cabinet is high up the wall. In the view of the above prior art, it can be understood that many automatic cabinet moving assemblies have been designed in an attempt to provide solutions, however, they are either complex or expensive, not solving the same problems, and inefficient.

In the light of the foregoing, there is a need for an automatic pull-down cabinet assembly that overcomes problems prevalent in the prior art.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic pull-down cabinet assembly that uses a simple moving mechanism that allows a user to adjust the height required at a lower extended position and at an upper extended position.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an automatic pull-down cabinet assembly that reduces human efforts and can be easily and safely operated by children, elderly, and physically challenged persons.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an automatic pull-down cabinet assembly that limits the extension of a cabinet assembly when at the lower extended position or at the upper extended position.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic pull-down cabinet assembly that is reliable, cost-efficient, durable, less complex, and compact.

Furthermore, the object of the present invention is to provide an automatic pull-down cabinet assembly, wherein the assembly can be easily anchored to a rigid surface such as a wall.

Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention, along with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

So that the manner in which the above-recited features of the present invention can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may have been referred by embodiments, some of which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. These and other features, benefits, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the following text figure, with like reference numbers referring to like structures across the views, wherein:

FIG. 1. shows a view of an automatic pull-down cabinet assembly with an outer cabinet and an inner cabinet retractably positioned within the outer cabinet;

FIG. 2 shows a view of the automatic pull-down cabinet assembly of FIG. 1 with doors, according to another embodiment;

FIG. 3 shows a view of the automatic pull-down cabinet assembly with the inner cabinet moved to an extended position in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a view of the automatic pull-down cabinet assembly of FIG. 3 with the inner cabinet moved to a lower extended position in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a view of the automatic pull-down cabinet assembly with the inner cabinet moved to the lower extended position in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows a view of the automatic pull-down cabinet assembly with the inner cabinet moved to the lower extended position in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 shows a view of the automatic pull-down cabinet assembly with the inner cabinet moved to the lower extended position in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 shows a user operating the automatic pull-down cabinet assembly of FIGS. 1-4;

FIG. 9 shows a view of the automatic pull-down cabinet assembly with the inner cabinet moved to an upper extended position in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 shows a user operating the automatic pull-down cabinet assembly of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Some embodiments, illustrating its features, will now be discussed in detail. The words “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” and “including,” and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open-ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items. It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Although any methods and systems similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments, the preferred methods, and systems are now described. The disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary.

The present invention is described hereinafter by various embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein reference numerals used in the accompanying drawing correspond to the like elements throughout the description. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiment set forth herein. Rather, the embodiment is provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

The various features and embodiments of the present invention will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying figures, namely FIGS. 1-10, which should be regarded as merely illustrative without restricting the scope and ambit of the present invention.

A cabinet is a case usually having doors and shelves used for items that are displayed or stored in a home, business, store, or elsewhere. The present invention provides an automatic pull-down cabinet assembly with at least an outer cabinet and an inner cabinet. The assembly uses a moving mechanism that allows the user to adjust the height of the inner cabinet as required at a lower extended position and at an upper extended position. The assembly reduces the human efforts and can be easily and safely operated by children, elderly and physically challenged persons. The assembly provides a provision to limit the extension of the inner cabinet when the inner cabinet is moved to the lower extended position or to the upper extended position.

From herein afterward the assembly is referred to as an assembly 100. Referring now to FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, assembly 100 includes an outer cabinet 101, an inner cabinet 102, a cabinet moving mechanism 103, one or more sliding arms 104, a controller, and an operating device 105.

The outer cabinet 101 is mounted to a rigid surface. Generally, the outer cabinet 101 is anchored to a wall. The inner cabinet 102 is movably arranged inside the outer cabinet 101. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the outer cabinet is provided with a door 106 that may be opened or closed to access items/articles stored in the inner cabinet 102. The door 106 is rotatably connected to outer cabinet 101. One or more shelves 107 are arranged inside the inner cabinet 102 for storing one or more articles thereon.

A power source provides energy to the assembly 100. The power source is a battery or a rechargeable battery. In one embodiment, the energy is provided to the assembly 100 using an external power source.

The cabinet moving mechanism 103 moves the inner cabinet 102. The inner cabinet 102 is movable between a retracted position, an extended position, and a lower extended position or an upper extended position. The cabinet moving mechanism 103 includes a first moving unit 108 and a second moving unit 109 (as seen in FIG. 4). The first moving unit 108 is rigidly mounted to the outer cabinet 101 at one end. The first moving unit 108 is movably mounted to the second moving unit 109 at another end. The first moving unit 108 receives a motion from a first prime mover 110 for moving the inner cabinet 102 between the retracted position and the extended position. The first moving unit 108 may include a gear arrangement, a linear actuator, a lead screw arrangement, a belt drive arrangement, a chain drive arrangement, a scissor arm arrangement, a lever arm, a telescopic arm, a sliding arm, a pneumatic arm, a hydraulic arm or any other transition mechanism. FIG. 3 shows a folding arm (that folds and unfolds) as the first moving unit 108 gets activated for moving the inner cabinet 102 in the extended position. FIG. 5 shows a lead screw arrangement configured as the first moving unit 108 for moving the inner cabinet 102 in the extended position. FIG. 6 shows a scissor arm configured as the first moving unit 108 for moving the inner cabinet 102 in the extended position. The scissor arms fold and unfold upon receiving motion from the first prime mover 110. FIG. 7 shows a telescopic arm configured as the first moving unit 108 for moving the inner cabinet 102 in the extended position. The telescopic arms are filled with fluid that enables the extension and retraction of the arm.

The second moving unit 109 is rigidly mounted to the first moving unit 108. The second moving unit 109 is movably mounted to the inner cabinet 102. The second moving unit 109 receives a motion from a second prime mover 111 for moving the inner cabinet 102 between the extended position and the lower extended position. The second moving unit 109 includes a gear arrangement, a linear actuator, a lead screw arrangement, a belt drive arrangement, a chain drive arrangement, a scissor arm arrangement, a lever arm, a telescopic arm, a sliding arm, a pneumatic arm, a hydraulic arm, or any other transition mechanism. FIG. 3 shows the rope configured as the second moving unit 109 for moving the inner cabinet 102 in the lower extended position. FIG. 5 shows a lead screw arrangement configured as the second moving unit 109 for moving the inner cabinet 102 in the lower extended position. FIG. 6 shows the scissor arm configured as the second moving unit 109 for moving the inner cabinet 102 in the lower extended position. FIG. 7 shows the telescopic arm (a linear actuator) configured as the second moving unit 109 for moving the inner cabinet 102 in the lower extended position.

The sliding arms 104 slide the inner cabinet 102 between the retracted position, the extended position, and the lower extended position as seen in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. The sliding arms 104 further includes a first set of sliding arms 112 and the second set of sliding arms 113. The first set of sliding arms 112 is rigidly mounted to the outer cabinet 101 at one end. The first set of sliding arms 112 is slidably mounted to the second set of sliding arms 113 at another end. The first set of sliding arms 112 slides the inner cabinet 102 between the retracted position and the extended position as seen in FIGS. 1 and 3. The second set of sliding arms 113 is rigidly mounted to the first set of sliding arms 112 at one end. The second set of sliding arms 113 is slidably mounted to the inner cabinet 102 at another end. The second set of sliding arms 113 slide the inner cabinet 102 between the extended position and the lower extended position as can be understood from FIGS. 3 and 4.

The controller is a controller or a processor or a microcontroller or a microcomputer or a microprocessor. The controller receives a command for moving the inner cabinet 102 from the user using the operating device 105 through a communication module. The communication module is a wired communication module or a wireless communication module. The well-known wireless communication modules are a radio frequency, a Wi-Fi, an internet and a Bluetooth. After receiving the command, the controller enables the cabinet moving mechanism 103 to move the inner cabinet 102 from the retracted position to the extended position to the lower extended position and vice versa.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a command is received from the user for moving the inner cabinet 102. The operating device is a knob, a pressure switch, a mechanical switch, an electromagnetic switch, an electromechanical switch, a press button, and a hand lever. In one alternative embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the operating device 105 is a mobile phone, a laptop, a computer, a tablet and remote control. The operating device 105 is provided for giving the command to the assembly 100. The command may include a request for moving the inner cabinet 102 as per requirement.

The controller receives the command for moving the inner cabinet 102 from the retracted position to the extended position from the user via the operating device 105. Upon receiving the command, the controller actuates the first prime mover 110. The first prime mover 110 rotates in a first direction or in a second direction. The first direction is a clockwise direction or an anticlockwise direction. The second direction is the anticlockwise direction or the clockwise direction. The first prime mover 110 is an AC motor or a DC motor. When the first prime mover 110 moves in the first direction or in the second direction, the first moving unit 108 moves in the forward direction for moving the inner cabinet 102 in the extended position. When the first moving unit 108 moves in the forward direction, the first set of sliding arms 112 slides the inner cabinet 102 in the forward direction to ensure the inner cabinet 102 achieves the extended position.

Further, the controller receives the command for moving the inner cabinet 102 from the extended position to the retracted position from the user via the operating device 105. Upon receiving the command, the controller actuates the first prime mover 110. When the first prime mover 110 moves in the second direction or in the first direction, the first moving unit 108 moves in the reverse direction for moving the inner cabinet 102 in the retracted position. When the first moving unit 108 moves in the reverse direction, the first set of sliding arms 112 slides the inner cabinet 102 in the reverse direction in the retracted position.

Furthermore, the controller receives the command for moving the inner cabinet 102 from the extended position to the lower extended position from the user via the operating device 105. Upon receiving the command, the controller actuates the second prime mover 111. When the second prime mover 111 moves in the first direction or in the second direction, the second moving unit 109 moves in the downward direction for moving the inner cabinet 102 to a required height. When the second moving unit 109 moves towards the lower extended position, the second set of sliding arms 113 slides the inner cabinet 102 to the lower extended position at the required height.

Further, the controller receives the command for moving the inner cabinet 102 from the lower extended position to the extended position from the user via the operating device 105. Upon receiving such a command, the controller actuates the second prime mover 111. When the second prime mover 111 moves in the second direction or in the first direction, the second moving unit 109 moves in the upward direction for moving the inner cabinet 102 to a predefined height. When the second moving unit 109 moves in the upward direction, the second set of sliding arms 113 slides the inner cabinet 102 towards the extended position to the required height.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention as shown in FIG. 9, the outer cabinet 101 is installed on the ground surface. The cabinet moving mechanism 103 moves the inner cabinet 102 between the retracted position, the extended position, and an upper extended position. The one or more sliding arms 104 slides the inner cabinet 102 between the retracted position, and the extended position. Thereafter, one or more linear actuators 109 (in an example, two such linear actuators) move the inner cabinet to the upper extended position from the extended position. The controller enables the cabinet moving mechanism 103 to move the inner cabinet 102 from the retracted position to the extended position to the upper extended position and vice versa as per the command received.

The assembly 100 further includes a plurality of sensors for monitoring the articles kept inside the inner cabinet 102 and arranged on the one or more shelves 107. The plurality of sensors includes a proximity sensor, a displacement sensor, a vision sensor, a scanner, a position sensor, an IR sensor, and a UV sensor. In a given example, the position sensor senses the position of the inner cabinet 102. The displacement sensor senses the displacement of the inner cabinet 102 when moved between the retracted position to the extended position to the lower extended position or upper extended position. The vision sensor may be a camera or a thermal camera that captures the images or records a video of articles kept inside the inner cabinet 102. The vibration sensor senses a vibration generated while moving the inner cabinet 102. It is known to a person ordinary skilled in the art to configure known sensors within the assembly 100. The sensors send the sensed data to the controller.

In a given example as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the user needs to give the command to the assembly 100 in order to move the inner cabinet 102 using the operating device 105. After getting the further command from the controller, the cabinet moving mechanism 103 moves the inner cabinet 102 connected therewith to the user's reach. After collecting the required articles from the inner cabinet 102, the command is given to assembly 100 to move the inner cabinet 102 using the operating device 105. After getting the command, the cabinet moving mechanism 103 moves back the inner cabinet 102 inside the outer cabinet 101.

The present invention provides the automatic pull-down cabinet assembly 100. The assembly 100 uses the moving mechanism 103 wherein the user is allowed to adjust the height required at the lower extended position. The assembly 100 reduces human efforts and can be easily and safely operated by children, the elderly, and physically challenged persons. The assembly 100 provides a provision to limit the extension of the cabinet assembly 100 when at the lower extended position and at the upper extended position. The assembly 100 is reliable, cost-efficient, durable, and compact. The assembly 100 can be easily installed with existing article storing cabinets.

It should be understood according to the preceding description of the present invention that the same is susceptible to changes, modifications and adaptations, and that the said changes, modifications and adaptations fall within scope of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An automatic pull-down cabinet assembly (100), the assembly (100) comprises: an outer cabinet (101); an inner cabinet (102) movably arranged inside the outer cabinet (101); a cabinet moving mechanism (103) for moving the inner cabinet (102) between at least: a retracted position, an extended position, and a lower extended position or an upper extended position; one or more sliding arms (104) for sliding the inner cabinet (102) between the retracted position, the extended position, and the lower extended position or the upper extended position; a controller that receives a command for moving the inner cabinet (102) from a user using an operating device (105); and wherein the controller enables the cabinet moving mechanism (103) to move the inner cabinet (102) from the retracted position to the extended position to the lower extended position or the upper extended position and vice versa as per command received.
 2. The assembly (100) claimed in claim 1, wherein the cabinet moving mechanism (103) further comprises a first moving unit (108) rigidly mounted to the outer cabinet (101) and movably mounted to the second moving unit (109) that receives a motion from a first prime mover (110) for moving the inner cabinet (102) between the retracted position and the extended position.
 3. The assembly (100) claimed in claim 1, wherein the cabinet moving mechanism (103) further comprises a second moving unit (109) rigidly mounted to the first moving unit (108) and movably mounted to the inner cabinet (102) that receives a motion from a second prime mover (111) for moving the inner cabinet (102) between the extended position and the lower extended position or the upper extended position.
 4. The assembly (100) claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more sliding arms (104) further comprises a first set of sliding arms (112) for sliding the inner cabinet (102) between the retracted position and the extended position.
 5. The assembly (100) claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more sliding arms (104) further comprises a second set of sliding arms (113) for sliding the inner cabinet (102) between the extended position and the lower extended position or the upper extended position.
 6. The assembly (100) claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller actuates the first prime mover (110) upon receiving the command for moving the inner cabinet (102) from the retracted position to the extended position or from the extended position to the retracted position to rotate in a first direction or in a second direction to move the first moving unit (108) in a forward direction or in a reverse direction for moving the inner cabinet (102) outside the outer cabinet (101) or inside the outer cabinet (101) respectively.
 7. The assembly (100) claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller actuates the second prime mover (111) upon receiving the command for moving the inner cabinet (102) from the extended position to the lower extended position or from the lower extended position to the extended position to rotate in the first direction or in the second direction to move the second moving unit (109) in a downward direction or in an upward direction for moving the inner cabinet (102) to a required height or to a predefined height respectively.
 8. The assembly (100) claimed in claim 4, wherein the first set of sliding arms (112) slide the inner cabinet (102) between the retracted position and the extended position or vice versa when the first moving unit (108) moves in the forward direction or in the reverse direction, respectively.
 9. The assembly (100) claimed in claim 5, wherein the second set of sliding arms (113) slides the inner cabinet (102) between the extended position to the lower extended position or vice versa when the second moving unit (109) moves in the downward direction or in the upward direction respectively.
 10. The assembly (100) claimed in claim 2, wherein the first moving unit (108) comprises at least: a gear arrangement, a lead screw arrangement, a linear actuator, a belt drive arrangement, a chain drive arrangement, a scissor arm arrangement, a lever arm, a telescopic arm, a sliding arm, a pneumatic arm, a hydraulic arm.
 11. The assembly (100) claimed in claim 3, wherein the second moving unit (109) comprises at least: a gear arrangement, a lead screw arrangement, a linear actuator, a belt drive arrangement, a chain drive arrangement, a scissor arm arrangement, a lever arm, a telescopic arm, a sliding arm, a pneumatic arm, a hydraulic arm, or a hydraulic-pneumatic arm.
 12. The assembly (100) claimed in claim 1, the inner cabinet (102) further comprises one or more shelves (107) for storing one or more articles thereon.
 13. The assembly (100) claimed in claim 12, wherein the inner cabinet (102) further comprises a plurality of sensors for monitoring the articles stored therein or arranged on the one or more shelves (107) of the inner cabinet (102).
 14. The assembly (100) claimed in claim 13, wherein the plurality of sensors include at least: a proximity sensor, a displacement sensor, a vision sensor, a scanner, a position sensor, an IR sensor, and a UV sensor.
 15. The assembly (100) claimed in claim 1, wherein the operating device (105) includes at least: a knob, a pressure switch, a mechanical switch, an electromagnetic switch, an electromechanical switch, a press button and a lever.
 16. The assembly (100) claimed in claim 1, wherein the operating device (105) includes at least: a mobile phone, a laptop, a computer, a tablet and a remote control. 